Stranger Things Have Happened | Marcus Bontempelli

one-hundred & seventeen.

"Home sweet home," Marcus dramatically sighed as he threw down his heavy duffle bag and gently placed my carry-on case on the freshly made hotel bed.

"I cannot believe you convinced me to do this," I said for the millionth time as I watched Marcus open the floor to ceiling balcony doors, revealing downtown Adelaide.

The cheeky smile on his face when he turned around made my brows furrow, "It's because you're obsessed with me."

Now my eyes were rolling into the back of my head as an incredulous laugh left my lips. Marcus had managed to convince me – or more accurately, begged me to travel with him and the team to South Australia for their round 7 clash against Port Adelaide. My days had been blurring into one with work and getting ready for our tour that a break was probably healthy – and the boys in the band couldn't have been happier, besides Connor.

"This album isn't gonna write itself, you know?" Connor scowled as we sat in the recording room at Sing Sing studios.

"Oh baby – I've written the album and you would know that if you'd come to the last, I don't know, five sessions," I retorted and Connor scoffed in my direction, clearly displeased by my criticism.

"Well you're turning into one of those chicks who hangs off her boyfriend 24/7 and it's embarrassing," He stabbed back before standing up and plucking the packet of cigarettes out of his pocket.

"Don't even try that shit with me. I know you're miserable right now but I'm not going to sit here and take your crap because you can't interact with people without being a total dick," I returned angrily – my frustration levels peaking as the smug smirk took over his face.

"It's your lucky day then because I'm leaving. See ya boys," Connor snarled before kicking the studio door open – nearly snapping it off the hinges as he waltzed out with a middle finger in the air.

Jake threw down his drumsticks and jumped up from the kit he was sitting behind, "Drewes you cannot fuckin' walk out again or I swear to god," He yelled down the passageway but it was too late.

Connor had left the building like the petulant child he'd become recently and I hadn't been able to shake the memory from my mind all week. I felt helpless when it came to getting him the help he needed but he didn't want it anyway. There was something festering away within him that worried all of us and it was making him unbearable to be around – which made it even harder to record the new album.

"What's on your mind, pretty girl?" Marcus asked, snapping me out of my trance.

I huffed and barely even glanced over at him sitting on the end of the bed for him to know exactly what was bothering me. It was written all over my face and almost impossible to hide – especially from my infuriatingly observant fiancé.

"Like I said yesterday, I'll go around and see him when we get home. Maybe having someone neutral to talk to will be good for him," Marcus offered again and I nodded, hoping he could talk some sense into him.

"He'll listen and open up to you because you're sweet and patient and compassionate – all the things I'm not," I said, feeling completely defeated by my recent attempts of getting Connor to let me in again.

Marcus groaned and furrowed his brows as I rested my head on our pillows, "All right – now you're just fishing for compliments. Do you need me to run through all the things that make you superhuman because I can," He teased with his fingers gently ticking my sides, making me wriggle under his touch.

I shook my head and seized his hands, "No but I feel like a failure watching him self-destruct. He's been through so much and I wish I could take that pain away from him," I confessed as Marcus laid down on the pillow beside me and looked into my glassy eyes.